Reel unit for spinning reel

ABSTRACT

The reel unit includes a reel body that accommodates a variety of mechanisms therein and a T-shaped rod attachment leg that extends diagonally frontward and formed integrally with the reel body. The reel body includes a body member having an accommodation space in the interior thereof that opens to a side, and a lid member detachably mounted on the body member to cover the opening of the body member. A reduced thickness portion is formed in an upper rear portion of the reel body, where the rod attachment leg connects the reel body. The reduced thickness portion has a peripheral rim poriton and a recessed portion that is further recessed from the peripheral rim portion. The cover member is mounted to cover the rear lower portion of the reel body in order to cover at least the peripheral rim portion of the reduced thickness portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a reel unit. More specifically, thepresent invention relates to a reel unit of a spinning reel mounted to afishing rod and capable of reeling out fishing line.

2. Background Information

A spinning reel generally has a reel unit mounted to a fishing rod, ahandle rotatably attached to a reel unit, a rotor rotatably fitted tothe reel unit, and a spool fitted to the reel unit at the front of therotor that can be shifted back and forth. Fishing line is guided by therotor and is wound around the periphery of the spool.

This type of reel unit is furnished with a T-shaped rod attachment legmounted on a fishing rod, and a reel body that is formed integrally withthe rod attachment leg. A variety of mechanisms is accommodated in theinterior of the reel body. The reel body includes a body member havingan accommodation space in the interior thereof that opens to a side, anda lid member detachably mounted on the body member for covering theopening of the body member.

With this type of reel unit, it is desirable to make the front-to-reardirection length of the rod attachment leg short so that an angler caneasily hold the rod attachment leg with their fingers when holding thefishing rod. In addition, it is desirable to make the front-to-reardirection length of the reel body longer so that the reel body canaccommodate various mechanisms in the interior thereof. When trying torealize both of these requirements, the strength of the portion thatconnects the rod attachment leg and the reel body may be significantlyreduced because of a severe change in the front-to-rear directionlength. Thus, when the front-to-rear direction length of the portionthat connects the rod attachment leg and the reel body is formed so thatthe change in size occurs gradually, a high degree of strength can bemaintained. But the weight of the reel unit will increase since the areaconnecting the rod attachment leg and reel body is formed with a largewall thickness.

In order to solve this kind of problem, a reel unit with a through holeformed from the rear above the portion that connects the rod attachmentleg and the reel body is known, as shown in, for example, JapaneseDesign Registration Publication No. 712318. By forming this type ofthrough hole, the overall weight of the reel unit can be reduced, andthe design can be improved.

With this type of conventional reel unit for a spinning reel, theoverall weight of the reel unit can be reduced because a through hole isformed above the portion that connects the rod attachment leg and thereel body. However, when this type of through hole is formed, damage canoccur at the peripheral rim portion of the through hole when the reel isdropped or when it comes into contact with a rock. If the peripheral rimportion of the through hole is damaged, a decline in the overallstrength of the reel unit may occur.

In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the artfrom this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved reel unitfor a spinning reel. This invention addresses this need in the art aswell as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in theart from this disclosure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the aforementioned problems, it is therefore an object of theinvention to reduce the overall weight of the reel and to maintain ahigh level of overall strength for the reel unit.

A reel unit according to a first aspect of the present invention is areel unit of a spinning reel mounted to a fishing rod and capable ofreeling out fishing line. The reel unit includes a reel body, a T-shapedrod attachment leg, a reduced thickness portion, and a cover member. TheT-shaped rod attachment leg is adapted to be mounted to the fishing rod.The T-shaped rod attachment leg extends diagonally frontward and beingformed integrally with the reel body. The reduced thickness portion isformed on a rear surface of the rod attachment leg above where the rodattachment leg connects the reel body. The cover member is configured tocover at least the peripheral rim portion of the reduced thicknessportion.

With this reel unit, since the reduced thickness portion having forinstance a through hole and an indentation is formed above the portionthat connects the rod attachment leg and the reel body, the overallweight of the reel unit can be reduced. In addition, since at least theperipheral rim portion of the reduced thickness portion is covered bythe cover member, the overall strength of the reel unit can bemaintained at a high level. In addition, by mounting this type of covermember, the design can be improved.

A reel unit according to a second aspect of the present invention is thereel unit of the first aspect, in which the cover member has an openingthat faces the reduced thickness portion. With this configuration, sincethe cover member includes the opening, further weight reduction can berealized.

A reel unit according to a third aspect of the present invention is thereel unit of the first aspect, in which the cover member closes thereduced thickness portion. With this configuration, since the covermember covers the entire reduced thickness portion, the strength of thereel unit can be maintained at an even higher level.

A reel unit according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is thereel unit of any of the first to third aspects, in which the peripheralrim portion of the reduced thickness portion has a recessed portion thatis recessed from surrounding surfaces of the rod attachment leg and thereel body. With this configuration, by providing the recessed portion asthe reduced thickness portion, the amount of the recess can be properlyadjusted, and thus the weight reduction and the strength maintenance canbe balanced.

A reel unit according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is thereel unit of any of the first to third aspects, in which the reducedthickness portion has a through hole that passes through the rodattachment leg and the reel body. With this configuration, by providingthe through hole as the reduced thickness portion, the reduced thicknessportion can be formed easily.

A reel unit according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is thereel unit of the fifth aspect, in which the peripheral rim portion ofthe reduced thickness portion has an indentation that is recessed fromsurrounding surfaces of the rod attachment leg and the reel body. Withthis configuration, by jointly providing the through hole and theindentation as the reduced thickness portion, the design can beimproved.

A reel unit according to a seventh aspect of the present invention isthe reel unit of the sixth aspect, in which the through hole is formedat a position that is offset from a center of the reduced thicknessportion. With this configuration, weight reduction can be furtherachieved because the formation of the through hole will be easier, andthe area in which the indentation can be disposed will be widened.

A reel unit according to an eighth aspect of the present invention isthe reel unit of the sixth or seventh aspect, in which the indentationincludes an oblique surface that is inclined toward the through hole.With this configuration, for example, by inclining the indentation sothat the indentation and the through hole are smoothly connected, thedesign can be further improved.

A reel unit according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is thereel unit of any of the first to eighth aspects, in which the reel bodyincludes a body member and a lid member configured to be mounted to thebody member. With this configuration, by forming the reduced thicknessportion on a portion where the rod attachment leg and the reel body areconnected or on a portion where the rod attachment leg and the lidmember are connected, the overall weight of the reel unit can be reducedand the overall strength of the reel unit can be maintained at a highlevel.

A reel unit according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is thereel unit of the ninth aspect, in which the rod attachment leg is formedto be integral with the body member. With this configuration, since therod attachment leg and the body member are integrally formed, thestructure of the lid member is simpler than the case where the rodattachment leg and the lid member were integrally formed.

A reel unit according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention isthe reel unit of the ninth aspect, in which the rod attachment leg isformed to be integral with the lid member. With this configuration,since the rod attachment leg and the lid member are integrally formed,the commingling of the thick portions and thin portions thereof isreduced and the body member is made thin to increase and to maintain theprecision thereof. Further, the rod attachment leg is made thick tomaintain the strength thereof.

A reel unit according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention isthe reel unit of any of the first to eleventh aspects, in which the reelbody includes first engagement portions on its lower portion. The covermember includes a first cover member and a second cover member. Thefirst cover member covers the rear portion of the reel body from therear portion of the rod attachment leg, and a second cover membermounted to the first cover member. The first cover member is configuredto cover the reel body and the rod attachment leg from rear, andincludes a first hole portion, a first engaged portion, a second engagedportion, and a third engagement portion. The first hole portion isformed on an upper rear portion of the first cover member. The firstengaged portion is formed on a lower rear portion of the first covermember to engage with the first engagement portion from rear. The secondengaged portion is formed on the first hole portion. The thirdengagement portion is formed in the first hold portion at a positiondifferent from that of the second engaged portion. The second covermember is mounted to cover the first hole portion of the first covermember. The second cover member includes a fixing portion, a secondengagement portion, and a third engagement portion. The fixing portionengages the first hole portion from rear to be fixedly coupled to thereduced thickness portion. The second engagement portion is configuredto engage the second engaged portion from rear. The third engagedportions are formed at positions separated from the fixing portion. Thethird engagement portion is formed at a position different from that ofthe fixing portion and configured to engage with the third engagementportion from front. The reduced thickness portion includes a second holeportion formed where the rod attachment leg that connects with the reelbody, the second hole portion communicating with the first hole portion.

In this case, two cover members, one of which is the first cover memberto cover the rear portion of the rod attachment leg and the reel body,and the other of which is the second cover member to cover the firsthole portion of the first cover member, are mounted to this reel unit.In order to mount these cover members, the first engaged portion of thefirst cover member engages with the first engagement portion of thelower portion of the reel body. Next, the third engaged portion of thesecond cover member engages with the third engagement portion of thefirst cover member from the front, and the second engaged portion of thefirst cover member engages with the second engagement portion on theupper portion of the second cover from the rear. In this state, thefixing portion on the upper portion of the second cover member is fixedto the portion where the rod attachment leg and the reel body areconnected. Here, the first cover member is loosely retained to thesecond cover member by the second engagement portion and the secondengaged portion, the second cover member is loosely retained to thefirst cover member by the third engagement portion and the third engagedportion, and in the mean time the two cover members (the first covermember and the second cover member) are fixedly attached to one anotherby the fixing portion of the second cover member. By providing thefixing portion on the second cover member in this way, the first covermember and the second cover member are loosely retained to one anotherwhile the first cover member and the second cover member are fixedlyattached to the reel unit. Thus, since there is no need to provide afixing portion on the first cover member, two cover members can beprovided with an inexpensive structure. Furthermore, the design can befurther improved by forming the second hole portion on the rodattachment leg.

A reel unit according to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention isthe reel unit of the twelfth aspect, in which the second cover memberfurther includes a third hole portion that communicates with the secondhole portion. With this configuration, the design can be furtherimproved by forming the third hole portion on the second cover member.

A reel unit according to a fourteenth aspect is the reel unit of thetwelfth or thirteenth aspect, in which the reel body further includes afourth hole portion that passes through the reel body. The first covermember includes a fifth hole portion that communicates with the fourthhole portion. With this configuration, a rear drag mechanism can bemounted in the fourth and fifth hole portions, for example, as with arear drag type spinning reel.

A reel unit according to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention isthe reel unit of any of the twelfth to fourteenth aspects, in which thesecond engagement portion is a partially cut out recess. The secondengaged portion is a convex portion that projects inward of the firsthole portion and engages with the second engagement portion. With thisconfiguration, since the recessed portion and the convex portion areeasily formed, the structure of the second engagement portion and thesecond engaged portion are simplified.

A reel unit according to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention isthe reel unit disclosed in any of the twelfth to fifteenth aspects, inwhich the third engagement portion is a partially cut out recess formedon the first hole portion. The third engaged portion has a convexportion that projects outward and engages with the recess. With thisconfiguration, since the recessed portion and the convex portion can beeasily formed, the structure of the third engagement portion and thethird engaged portion will be simplified.

A reel unit according to a seventeenth aspect of the present inventionis the reel unit of the twelfth to sixteenth aspects, in which thefixing portion is a boss portion that engages with a screw memberinstalled from the front. With this configuration, since the fixingportion, for example, projects forward and is a boss portion having afemale threaded portion formed therein which engages with the screwmember, the attachment of the second cover member will be simplified.

A reel unit according to an eighteenth aspect of the present inventionis the reel unit of any of the twelfth to seventeenth aspects, in whichthe reel body includes a body member, and a lid member that is mountedto the body member. With this configuration, since the first covermember is mounted at least on one of the body member and the lid member,two cover members can be mounted using an inexpensive structure.

A reel unit according to a ninteenth aspect of the present invention isthe reel unit of the eighteenth aspect, in which the rod attachment legis formed to be integral with the body member. With this configuration,since the rod attachment leg and the body member are integrally formed,the structure of the lid member will be simpler when compared to astructure in which the rod attachment leg and the lid member areintegrally formed.

A reel unit according to a twentieth aspect of the present invention isthe reel unit of the eighteenth aspect, in which the rod attachment legis formed to be integral with the lid member. With this configuration,since the rod attachment leg and the lid member are integrally formed,the commingling of the thick portions and thin portions thereof isreduced and the body member is made thin to increase and to maintain theprecision thereof, and the rod attachment leg is made thick to maintainthe strength thereof.

According to the present invention, in a reel unit for a spinning reel,by forming the reduced thickness portion above the portion that connectsthe rod attachment portion and the reel body, and by covering at leastthe peripheral rim portion of the reduced thickness portion with thecover member, the overall weight of the reel unit can be reduced and theoverall strength of the reel unit can be maintained at a high level. Inaddition, since there is no need to provide a fixing portion on thefirst cover member, two cover members can be provided with aninexpensive structure.

These and other objects, features, aspects, and advantages of thepresent invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art fromthe following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with theannexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of thisoriginal disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a lateral view of a spinning reel in accordance with a firstpreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the spinning reel;

FIG. 3 is a lateral view of a spinnning reel in accordance with a firstmodification of the first embodiment corresponding to FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the spinning reel of FIG. 3 corresponding toFIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a rear view of a spinnning reel in accordance with a secondmodification of the first embodiment corresponding to FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a rear view of a spinnning reel in accordance with a thirdmodification of the first embodiment corresponding to FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a rear view of a spinnning reel in accordance with a fourthmodification of the first embodiment corresponding to FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a lateral view of a spinnning reel in accordance with a fifthmodification of the first embodiment corresponding to FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a lateral view of a spinning reel according to a secondpreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a rear view of the spinning reel of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an oblique view of a first cover member and a second covermember of the spinning reel of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is an oblique view of a first cover member and a second covermember of a spinning reel in accordance with a modification of thesecond embodiment corresponding to FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a lateral view of a spinning reel in accordance with a secondmodification of the second embodiment corresponding to FIG. 9;

FIG. 14 is an oblique view a first cover member and a second covermember of the spinning reel of FIG. 13 corresponding to FIG. 11; and

FIG. 15 is a rear view of a spinning reel in accordance with a thirdmodification of the second embodiment corresponding to FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Selected embodiments of the present invention will now be explained withreference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in theart from this disclosure that the following descriptions of theembodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration onlyand not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by theappended claims and their equivalents.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a spinning reel in accordance with a firstpreferred embodiment of the present invention includes a reel unit 2that can be mounted to a fishing rod, a rotor 3, a spool 4, and a handle1 that is rotatably supported by the reel unit 2. The rotor 3 isprovided to wind fishing line around the spool 4, and is rotatablysupported at the front of the reel unit 2. The spool 4 is provided tohave fishing line wound around the outer peripheral surface thereof, andis disposed on the front of the rotor 3. In other words, the spool 4 andthe reel unit 2 axially interpose the rotor 3. The spool 4 can bereciprocated relative to the reel unit 2. The handle 1 is mounted on theright side of the reel unit 2 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, but it can alsobe mounted on the left side of the reel unit 2.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the reel unit 2 includes a reel body 2 a toaccommodate a variety of mechanisms therein and a T-shaped rodattachment leg 2 b extending diagonally upward to the front and formedintegrally with the reel body 2 a.

As shown in FIG. 2, the reel body 2 a includes a body member 2 c havingan accommodation space in the interior thereof that opens to the side,and a lid member 2 d detachably mounted on the body member to cover theopening of the body member 2 c. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rodattachment leg portion 2 b is a substantially T-shaped solid andthick-walled member. The front end portion of the rod attachment leg 2 bextends toward both the front and the rear so that a fishing rod (notshown in the figures) can be mounted thereon.

The body member 2 c is, for example, made of a metal or a syntheticresin, and as shown in FIG. 2, an opening is formed on the side thereofand an accommodation space is formed in the interior thereof (not shownin the figures). The accommodation space (not shown in the figures) isprovided with a rotor drive mechanism (not shown in the figures) torotate the rotor 3 and an oscillating mechanism (not shown in thefigures) to move the spool 4 back and forth relative to the reel unit 2to wind the fishing line uniformly. The lid member 2 d is, for example,made of a metal or a synthetic resin, and is mounted to close theopening of the body member 2 c. The lid member 2 d is formed integrallywith the rod attachment leg 2 b that extends upward.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a reduced thickness portion 50 is formed atthe upward rear surface of the connecting portion between the rodattachment leg 2 b and the lid member 2 d of the reel body 2 a. A covermember 70 is mounted extending from the rear portion to the lowerportion to cover at least the peripheral rim 50 a of the reducedthickness portion 50.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the reduced thickness portion 50 includesa through hole 51 that passes through a portion of the rod attachmentleg 2 b and the lid member 2 d, and an indentation 52 which is formedaround the periphery of the through hole 51 and in which a portion ofthe rod attachment leg 2 b and the reel body 2 a are recessed fromsurrounding surfaces of the rod attachment leg 2 b and the reel body 2a. As seen in FIG. 1, the through hole 51 is further recessed from theindentation 52. The through hole 51 is arranged at a position offsetfrom a central portion of the indentation 52 of the reduced thicknessportion 50. The indentation 52 includes an oblique surface that isinclined toward the through hole 51.

The cover member 70 is preferably made of a metal or a synthetic resin,and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is mounted to cover the periphery of thethrough hole 51. The cover member 70 includes an opening 71 that facesthe through hole 51 and an oblique surface 72 that is arranged to becurved into a convex shape along the oblique surface of the indentation52. The cover member 70 is fixedly attached to the body member 2 c andthe lid member 2 d via a screw member (not shown in the figures).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rotor 3 has a cylindrical portion 30 andfirst and second rotor arms 31 and 32 disposed in opposition to oneanother at the sides of the cylindrical portion 30. The cylindricalportion 30 and the first and second rotor arms 31 and 32 are integrallyformed. A wall having a through hole (not shown in the figures) isformed on the front of the cylindrical portion 30, through which thepinion gear and the spool shaft pass through.

As shown in FIG. 1, a first bail support member 40 is pivotably mountedto the outer peripheral side of the front end of the first rotor arm 31.A line roller 41 is attached to the front end of the first bail supportmember 40 to guide fishing line onto the spool 4. A second bail supportmember 42 is pivotally mounted to the outer peripheral side of the frontend of the second rotor arm 32. A bail 43 is provided between the lineroller 41 at the front end of the first bail support member 40 and thesecond bail-support member 42. The first bail support member 40, thesecond bail support member 42, the line roller 41, and the bail 43together constitute a bail arm 44.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the spool 4 is arranged between thefirst rotor arm 31 and the second rotor arm 32 of the rotor 3, and isfitted to the front end of the spool shaft with a drag mechanism (notshown in the figures) interposed between the spool 4 and the spoolshaft. The spool 4 has a line winding cylinder 4 a around the outerperiphery of which the fishing line is wound, a skirt 4 b formedintegrally at the rear of the line winding cylinder 4 a, and a frontflange 4 c fixedly formed at the front of the line winding cylinder 4 a.

In a spinning reel constructed in this matter, the reduced thicknessportion 50 is formed above the portion that connects the rod attachmentportion 2 b and the lid member 2 d. By covering the peripheral rimportion of the reduced thickness portion 50 with the cover member 70,the overall weight of the reel unit 2 can be reduced and the overallstrength of the reel unit 2 can be maintained at a high level.

Modifications of the First Embodiment

(a) The type of spinning reels to which the present invention can beapplied is not limited to the foregoing embodiment. The presentinvention can be suitably applied to spinning reels having a dragmechanism or a control mechanism having a brake lever instead of areverse rotation prevention mechanism.

(b) In the foregoing embodiment, the through hole 51 and the indentation52 are provided as the reduced thickness portion 50, and the openingportion 71 and the oblique surface 72 are provided as the cover member70. However, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a bottom portion 53′ (an exampleof a recessed portion) and an indentation 52′ (another example of aperipheral rim portion), both of which are not through holes, can beprovided as the reduced thickness portion 50′. Further, a closingportion 73′ that closes the bottom portion 53′, and an oblique surface72′ that covers the entire bottom portion 53′ can be provided as thecover member 70′. In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the through hole 51″can be provided as the reduced thickness portion 50″, and the openingportion 71″ facing the through hole 51″ can be provided as part of thecover member 70″ that covers the periperal rim portion 52″. Furthermore,as shown in FIG. 6, the bottom portion 53′″ that is not a through holecan be provided as part of the reduced thickness portion 50′″ and theclosing portion 73′″ that covers the entire bottom portion 53′″ can beprovided as the cover member 70′″, which covers the peripherl rimportion 52′″.

(c) In the first embodiment, the lid member 2 d is formed integrallywith the rod attachment leg portion 2 b, but as shown in FIG. 7, thebody portion member 2 c′ can be formed integrally with the rodattachment leg portion 2 b′. Note that in this configuration the reducedthickness portion 50 is formed above the portion connecting the rodattachment leg 2 b′ and the body portion 2 c′ and the cover member 70 ismounted on the peripheral rim portion of the reduced thickness portion50.

(d) In the foregoing embodiment, the reduced thickness portion 50 isformed at the rear of the rod attachment leg 2 b and the reel body 2 a,but as shown in FIG. 8, the reduced thickness portion 50″″ made of thethrough hole 51″″ and the peripheral rim portion 52″″ can be provided onthe side portion of the rod attachment leg 2 b and the reel body 2 a,and the cover member 70″″ having the opening 71″″ can be mountedthereon.

As used herein, the following directional terms “forward, rearward,above, downward, vertical, horizontal, below and transverse” as well asany other similar directional terms refer to those directions of adevice equipped with the present invention. Accordingly, these terms, asutilized to describe the present invention should be interpretedrelative to a device equipped with the present invention.

Second Embodiment

Alternate embodiments will now be explained. In view of the similaritybetween the first and alternate embodiments, the parts of the alternateembodiments that are identical to the parts of the first embodiment willbe given the same reference numerals as the parts of the firstembodiment. Moreover, the descriptions of the parts of the alternateembodiments that are identical to the parts of the first embodiment maybe omitted for the sake of brevity.

A spinning reel in accordance with the second embodiment of the presentinvention is, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a front-drag type of spinningreel and includes a handle 101, a reel unit 102 that rotatably supportsthe handle 101 and which can be mounted to a fishing rod, a rotor 103,and a spool 104. The rotor 103 is provided to wind fishing line aroundthe spool 104, and is rotatably supported at the front of the reel unit102. The spool 104 has fishing line wound around the outer peripheralsurface thereof, and is disposed on the front of the rotor 103. In otherwords, the spool 104 and reel unit 102 interpose the rotor 103. Thespool 104 can be reciprocated relative to the reel unit 102. The handle101 is mounted on the right side of the reel unit 102 as shown in FIGS.9 and 10, but it can also be mounted on the left side of the reel unit102.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the reel unit 102 includes a reel body 102 ato accommodate a variety of mechanisms in the interior thereof (notshown in Figures), and a T-shaped rod attachment leg 102 b extendingdiagonally upward and forward and formed integrally with the reel body102 a.

As shown in FIG. 10, the reel body 102 a includes a body member 102 chaving an accommodation space in the interior thereof that is open to aside, and a lid member 102 d detachably mounted on the body member 102 cin order to cover the opening of the body member 102 c. As shown inFIGS. 9 and 10, the rod attachment leg 102 b is an approximatelyT-shaped solid and thick-walled member integrally formed with the lidmember 102 d. The tip portion of the rod attachment leg 102 b extendstoward both the front and the rear, and a fishing rod (not shown in thefigures) can be mounted thereon.

The body member 102 c is, for example, preferably made of a metal or asynthetic resin, and as shown in FIG. 10, an opening is formed on theside thereof and an accommodation space is formed in the interiorthereof (not shown in the figures). The accommodation space (not shownin the figures) is provided with a rotor drive mechanism (not shown inthe figures) to rotate the rotor 103 and an oscillating mechanism (notshown in the figures) to move the spool 104 back and forth to wind thefishing line uniformly. The lid member 102 d is, for example, made of ametal or a synthetic resin, and is mounted to close the opening of thebody member 102 c. The lid member 102 d is formed integrally with therod attachment leg 102 b that extends upward.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a reduced thickness portion 150 that isrecessed from the surrounding surfaces of the rear portion of the reelbody 102 a and the rod attachment leg 102 b. First engagement portions151 that are each concave cut-out portions are formed in two left andright positions in the reduced thickness portion 150 of the lowerportion of the reel body 102 a. A second hole portion 152 is formed inthe portion of the reduced thickness portion 150 that connects the reelbody 102 a with the rod attachment leg 102 b, such that the second holeportion 152 a passes through the reel body 102 a and the rod attachmentleg 102 from front to rear. A first cover member 170 is mounted from therear on the entire reduced thickness portion 150, and a second covermember 180 is detachably mounted from the rear on the upper portion ofthe first cover member 170.

As shown in FIG. 9, the rotor 103 has a cylindrical portion 130, andfirst and second rotor arms 131 and 132 disposed in opposition to oneanother at the sides of the cylindrical portion 130. The cylindricalportion 130 and the first and second rotor arms 131 and 132 areintegrally formed. A wall having a through hole (not shown in thefigures) is formed on the front of the cylindrical portion 130, throughwhich the pinion gear and the spool shaft pass through as shown in FIG.10.

As shown in FIG. 9, a first bail support member 140 is mounted pivotablyon the outer peripheral side of the fore-end of the first rotor arm 131.A line roller 141 is mounted to the front end of the first bail supportmember 140 to guide fishing line onto the spool 104. A second bailsupport member 142 is pivotably mounted to the outer peripheral side ofthe front end of the second rotor arm 132. A bail 143 is providedbetween the line roller 141 at the front end of the first bail supportmember 140 and the second bail support member 142. The first bailsupport member 140, the second bail support member 142, the line roller141, and the bail 143 together constitute a bail arm 144.

Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, the spool 104 is arranged between thefirst rotor arm 131 and the second rotor arm 132 of the rotor 103, andis mounted to the front end of the spool shaft with a drag mechanism(not shown in the figures) interposed between the spool 104 and thespool shaft. The spool 104 has a line winding cylinder 104 a around theouter periphery of which the fishing line is wound, a skirt 104 b formedintegrally at the rear of the line winding cylinder 104 a, and a frontflange 104 c fixedly formed with the front of the line winding cylinder104 a.

The first cover member 170 and the second cover member 180 are made of ametal or a synthetic resin, and as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, are covermembers that are formed into curved plate shapes having openings on theupper portions thereof. The outer shape of the second cover member 180is formed to be smaller than the outer shape of the first cover member170.

As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the first cover member 170 includes a firsthole portion 174, first engaged portions 171, second engaged portions172, and third engagement portions 173. The first hole portion 174 isformed above the rear portion. The first engaged portions 171 are formedto project frontward in two locations below the rear portion. The secondengaged portions 172 are formed to project outward in two locations onthe inner sides of the upper portion of the first hole portion 174. Thethird engagement portions 173 are formed in concave shapes in twolocations on the inner sides of the lower portion of the first holeportion 174. The first engaged portions 171 are engaged with the firstengagement portions 151 from the front. The first hole portion 174 isarranged to communicate with the second hole portion 152.

As shown in FIG. 9 to FIG. 11, the second cover member 180 includes athird hole 184, a boss portion 181, second engagement portions 182, andthird engaged portions 183. The third hole 184 is formed above the rearportion. The boss portion 181 is formed to project outward on the frontside around the peripheral edge portion of the upper portion of thethird hole portion 184. The second engagement portions 182 are formed inconcave shapes in two positions on the outer sides of the upper portionof the third hole portion 184. The third engaged portions 183 are formedto project outward in two locations on the outer sides of the lowerportion of the third hole portion 184 that is separated from the bossportion 181. As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the boss portion 181 is arrangedon the portion that connects the reel body 102 a with the rod attachmentleg 102 b, and a screw member 160 that is inserted and mounted in thesecond hole portion 152 and the first hole portion 174 from the front isattached to the boss portion 181. The boss portion 181 has a femalethreaded portion (not shown in the figures) formed therein that opens onthe front side, and can engage with a male threaded portion (not shownin the figures) on the screw member 160. The second engagement portions182 are engaged with the second engaged portions 172 from the rear side.The third engaged portions 183 are engaged with the third engagementportions 173 from the front. The third hole portion 184 is formed tocommunicate with the second hole portion 152.

In order to mount this type of first cover member 170 and second covermember 180, the first engaged portions 171 of the first cover member 170are first engaged from the front with the first engagement portions 151in the lower portion of the reel body 102 a. Next, the third engagedportions 183 of the second cover member 180 are engaged with the thirdengagement portions 173 of the first cover member 170 from the front,and the second engaged portions 172 of the first cover member 170 areengaged with the second engagement portions 182 on the upper portion ofthe second cover member 180 from the rear. In this state, the screwmember 160 is mounted in the boss portion 181 on the upper portion ofthe second cover member 180 and fixedly coupled to the portionconnecting the rod attachment leg 102 b and the reel body 102 a. Here,the first cover member 170 and the second cover member 180 are looselyretained to one another by the second engagement portions 182 and thesecond engaged portions 172. Further, the second cover member 180 andthe first cover member 170 are loosely retained to one another by thethird engagement portions 173 and the third engaged portions 183, andthe first cover member 170 and the second cover member 180 are fixedlyattached to the reel unit 102 by the boss portion 181 of the secondcover member 180. Thus, by providing the boss portion 181 on the secondcover member 180, the first cover member 170 and the second cover member180 can be retained to one another while the first cover member 170 andthe second cover member 180 are fixedly attached to the reel unit 102.Therefore, since the need to provide a boss portion on the first covermember 170 will be eliminated, the first cover member 170 and the secondcover member 180 can be mounted with an inexpensive structure.

Modifications of the Second Embodiment

(e) The type of spinning reels to which the present invention can beapplied is not limited to the foregoing embodiment. The presentinvention can be suitably applied to spinning reels having a dragmechanism or a control mechanism having a brake lever instead of areverse rotation prevention mechanism. In addition, although a frontdrag type of spinning reel was used in the aforementioned embodiment, asshown in FIGS. 13 and 14, a rear drag type of spinning reel may also beused.

A spinning reel in accordance with a modification of the secondembodiment of the present invention is a rear-drag type spinning reeland, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, includes a reel unit 202 thatrotatably supports a handle 201, a rotor 203, and a spool 204. The rotor203 is rotatably supported on the front of the reel unit 202. The spool204 has fishing line wound around the outer peripheral surface thereof,and is disposed on the front of the rotor 203 so that it can be movedforward and backward relative to the reel unit 202.

The reel unit 202 includes a reel body 202 a, and a rod attachment leg202 b extending diagonally upward and forward from the reel body 202 a.The reel body 202 a has a space (not shown in the figures) toaccommodate a variety of mechanisms in the interior thereof. The rotor203 includes a cylindrical portion 230, and a first rotor arm 231 andsecond rotor arm 232 which are disposed opposing each other at the sidesof the cylindrical portion 230. The spool 204 is disposed between thefirst rotor arm 231 and the second rotor arm 232 of the rotor 203. Thespool 204 is non-rotatably and detachably mounted on a spool shaft 215.A rear drag mechanism 290 is mounted on the rear end of the spool shaft215.

As shown in FIG. 13, a reduced thickness portion 250 that is recessedfrom the surrounding surfaces of the rear portion of the reel body 202 aand the rod attachment leg 202 b. First engagement portions 251 that areeach concave cut-out portions are formed in two left and right positionsin the reduced thickness portion 250 of the lower portion of the reelbody 202 a. A second hole portion 252 is formed in the portion of thereduced thickness portion 250 that connects with the reel body 202 a ofthe rod attachment leg 202 b, and passes therethrough from front torear. A fourth hole portion 253 is formed in the reel body 202 a and thelower portion of the reduced thickness portion 250, passes therethroughfrom front to back, such that the spool shaft 215 can be inserted in thefourth hole portion. A first cover member 270 is mounted from the rearon the entire reduced thickness portion 250, and a second cover member280 is detachably mounted from the rear on the upper portion of thefirst cover member 270. Referring now to FIGS. 13 and 14, a fifth holeportion 275 that communicates with the fourth hole portion 253 is formedin the lower portion of the rear end of the first cover member 270.Further, the rear drag mechanism 290 is mounted on the spool shaft 215that is inserted in the fourth hole portion 253 and the fifth holeportion 275.

As shown in FIG. 13, the rear drag mechanism 290 is connectednon-rotatably and movably in the axial direction to the rear end portionof the spool shaft 215. The rear drag mechanism 290 brakes the rotationof the spool 204 in the line reel-out direction via the spool shaft 215.The rear drag mechanism 290 includes a cylindrical knob portion 291 toadjust the drag force manually.

The first cover member 270 and the second cover member 280 arepreferably made of a metal or a synthetic resin, and as shown in FIGS.13 and 14, are cover members that are curved in plate shapes havingopenings on the upper portions thereof. The outer shape of the secondcover member 280 is formed to be smaller than the outer shape of thefirst cover member 270. In addition, the second cover member 280 isdisposed above the fifth hole portion 275 of the first cover member 270.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the first cover member 270 includes a firsthole portion 274, first engaged portions 271, second engaged portions272, and third engagement portions 273. The first hole portion 274 isformed above the rear portion. The first engaged portions 271 are formedto project outward in two locations on the front side below the rearportion. The second engaged portions 272 are formed to project outwardin two locations on the inner sides of the upper portion of the firsthole portion 274. The third engagement portions 273 are formed inconcave shapes in two locations on the inner sides of the lower portionof the first hole portion 274. The first engaged portions 271 areengaged in the first engagement portions 251 from the front. The firsthole portion 274 is arranged to communicate with the second hole portion252.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the second cover member 280 includes athird hole 284, a boss portion 281, second engagement portions 282, andthird engaged portions 283. The third hole 284 is formed above the rearportion, a boss portion 281 is formed to project outward on the frontside around the peripheral edge portion of the upper portion of thethird hole portions 284. The second engagement portions 282 are formedin concave shapes in two positions on the outer sides of the upperportion of the third hole portion 284. The third engaged portion 283 isformed to project outward in two locations on the outer sides of thelower portion of the third hole portion 284 that is separated from theboss portion 281. The boss portion 281 is arranged on the portion thatconnects the reel body 202 a with the rod attachment leg 202 b. Further,a screw member 260 that is inserted and mounted in the second holeportion 252 and the first hole portion 274 from the front is attached tothe boss portion 281. The boss portion 281 has a female threaded portion(not shown in the figures) formed therein that opens on the front side,and can engage with a male threaded portion (not shown in the figures)on the screw member 260. The second engagement portions 282 are engagedwith the second engaged portions 272 from the rear side. The thirdengaged portions 283 are engaged with the third engagement portions 273from the front. The third hole portion 284 is formed to communicate withthe second hole portion 252.

In order to mount this type of first cover member 270 and second covermember 280, the first engaged portions 271 of the first cover member 270are first engaged from the front with the first engagement portions 251in the lower portion of the reel body 202 a. Next, the third engagedportion 283 of the second cover member 280 engages with the thirdengagement portion 273 of the first cover member 270 from the front, andthe second engaged portion 272 of the first cover member 270 engageswith the second engagement portion 282 on the upper portion of thesecond cover member 280 from the rear. In this state, the screw member260 is mounted in the boss portion 281 on the upper portion of thesecond cover member 280 and fixedly coupled to the portion connectingthe rod attachment leg 202 b and the reel body 202 a. Here, while thefirst cover member 270 and the second cover member 280 are looselyretained to one another by the second engagement portions 282 and thesecond engaged portions 272, and by the third engagement portions 273and the third engaged portions 283, the first cover member 270 and thesecond cover member 280 are fixedly attached to the reel body 202 a andthe rod attachment leg 202 b by the boss portion 281 of the second covermember 280. By providing the boss portion 281 on the second cover member280 in this way, the first cover member 270 and the second cover member280 are loosely retained to one another while the first cover member 270and the second cover member 280 are fixedly coupled to the reel body 202a and the rod attachment leg 202 b. Then, after mounting the first covermember 270 and the second cover member 280, the rear drag mechanism 290described above will be mounted. Here, even with a spinning reel havingthe rear drag mechanism 290, since the need to provide a boss portion onthe first cover member 270 will be eliminated, the first cover member270 and the second cover member 280 can be mounted with an inexpensivestructure.

(f) In the aforementioned embodiment, the third hole 184 is formed topass through the second cover member 180, however as shown in FIG. 12, aconfiguration in which a hole portion is not formed in the second covermember 180′ is also possible. In addition, the third hole portion 184 isnot limited to a through hole, and may also be a concave portion thatdoes not pass through. On the other hand, in the aforementionedembodiment, the second hole portion 152 was formed in the rod attachmentportion 102 b, but a configuration in which a hole portion is not formedin the rod attachment leg 102 b is also possible.

(g) In the foregoing embodiment, the lid member 102 d is formedintegrally with the rod attachment leg portion 102 b, but as shown inFIG. 15, the body member 102 c″ can be formed integrally with the rodattachment leg portion 102 b″. Thus, the lid member 102 d″ may be formedseparately from the rod attachment leg portion 102 b″.

(h) In the aforementioned embodiment, the screw member 160 is mounted inthe boss portion 181 to fixedly attach the first cover member 170 andthe second cover member 180 to the reel body 102 a and the rodattachment leg 102 b. However, the method of fixing the first covermember 170 and the second cover member 180 is not limited to screwing.

(i) In the aforementioned embodiment, the first cover member 170 and thesecond cover member 180 are formed into curved plate shapes. However,they are not limited to these shapes, and may be other shapes. Inaddition, the reduced thickness portion 150 may be formed into any shapethat matches the first cover member 170. Furthermore, a configuration inwhich the reduced thickness portion 150 is not formed is also possible.

(j) In the aforementioned embodiment, the first cover member 170 and thesecond cover member 180 are both made of metal or synthetic resin.However, the first cover member 170 and the second cover member 180 maybe formed from materials that are different from each other. Forexample, by forming the first cover member 170 with a hard material, andforming the second cover member 180 with a material that has excellentprinting qualities, it is possible to maintain the strength of the reelat a high level by the first cover member 170 while improving theprinting qualities of the surface of the second cover member 180 as aplace for a company insignia or the like. Note also that it is possibleto separately treat the surface of the first cover member 170 to hardenit, and to treat the surface of the second cover member 180 to improveits printing qualities.

The term “configured” as used herein to describe a component, section orpart of a device includes hardware and/or software that is constructedand/or programmed to carry out the desired function.

Moreover, terms that are expressed as “means-plus function” in theclaims should include any structure that can be utilized to carry outthe function of that part of the present invention.

The terms of degree such as “substantially,” “about,” and“approximately” as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation ofthe modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed.For example, these terms can be construed as including a deviation of atleast ±5% of the modified term if this deviation would not negate themeaning of the word it modifies.

This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application Nos.2003-317778 and 2004-043987. The entire disclosures of Japanese PatentApplication No. 2003-317778 and 2004-043987 are hereby incorporatedherein by reference.

While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate thepresent invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art fromthis disclosure that various changes and modifications can be madeherein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined inthe appended claims. Furthermore, the foregoing descriptions of theembodiments according to the present invention are provided forillustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention asdefined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Thus, the scope ofthe invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

1. A reel unit for a spinning reel adapted to be mounted to a fishingrod and capable of reeling out fishing line, comprising: a reel body; aT-shaped rod attachment leg adapted to be mounted to the fishing rod,the T-shaped rod attachment leg extending diagonally frontward and beingformed integrally with the reel body; a reduced thickness portion beingformed on a rear surface of the rod attachment leg above where the rodattachment leg connects the reel body; and a cover member beingconfigured to cover at least a peripheral rim portion of the reducedthickness portion.
 2. The reel unit for a spinning reel according toclaim 1, wherein the cover member has an opening that faces the reducedthickness portion.
 3. The reel unit for a spinning reel according toclaim 1, wherein the cover member closes the reduced thickness portion.4. The reel unit for a spinning reel according to claim 1, wherein theperipheral rim portion of the reduced thickness portion has a recessedportion that is recessed from surrounding surfaces of the rod attachmentleg and the reel body.
 5. The reel unit for a spinning reel according toclaim 1, wherein the reduced thickness portion has a through hole thatpasses through the rod attachment leg and the reel body.
 6. The reelunit for a spinning reel according to claim 5, wherein the peripheralrim portion of the reduced thickness portion has an indentation that isrecessed from surrounding surfaces of the rod attachment leg and thereel body.
 7. The reel unit for a spinning reel according to claim 6,wherein the through hole is formed at a position that is offset from acenter of the reduced thickness portion.
 8. The reel unit for a spinningreel according to claim 6, wherein the indentation includes an obliquesurface that is inclined toward the through hole.
 9. The reel unit for aspinning reel according to claim 1, wherein the reel body includes abody member and a lid member configured to be mounted to the bodymember.
 10. The reel unit for a spinning reel according to claim 9,wherein the rod attachment leg is formed to be integral with the bodymember.
 11. The reel unit for a spinning reel according to claim 9,wherein the rod attachment leg is formed to be integral with the lidmember.
 12. The reel unit for a spinning reel according to claim 1,wherein the reel body includes a first engagement portion on its lowerportion, said cover member includes, a first cover member that isconfigured to cover the reel body and the rod attachment leg from rear,the first cover member including a first hole portion formed on an upperrear portion of the first cover member, a first engaged portion formedon a lower rear portion of the first cover member to engage with thefirst engagement portion from rear, a second engaged portion formed inthe first hole portion, and a third engagement portion formed in thefirst hold portion at a position different from that of the secondengaged portion, and a second cover member mounted to cover the firsthole portion of the first cover member, said second cover memberincluding a fixing portion that engages the first hole portion from rearto be fixedly coupled to the reduced thickness portion, a secondengagement portion that is configured to engage the second engagedportion from rear, a third engaged portion formed at a positiondifferent from that of the fixing portion and configured to engage withthe third engagement portion from front, and said reduced thicknessportion includes a second hole portion formed where the rod attachmentleg that connects with the reel body, the second hole portioncommunicating with the first hole portion.
 13. The reel unit for aspinning reel according to claim 12, wherein the second cover memberfurther includes a third hole portion that communicates with the secondhole portion.
 14. The reel unit for a spinning reel according to claim13, wherein the reel body further includes a fourth hole portion thatpasses through the reel body, and the first cover member furtherincludes a fifth hole portion that is formed on its lower rear portionand communicates with the fourth hole portion.
 15. The reel unitaccording to claim 12, wherein the second engagement portion is apartially cut out recess; and the second engaged portion is a convexportion that projects inward of the first hole portion and engages withthe second engagement portion.
 16. The reel unit according to claim 12,wherein the third engagement portion is a partially cut out recessformed on the first hole portion; and the third engaged portion is aconvex portion that projects outward and engages with the recess. 17.The reel unit according to claim 12, wherein the fixing portion is aboss portion that engages with a screw member inserted from front. 18.The reel unit for a spinning reel according to claims 12, wherein thereel body further includes a body member, and a lid member configured tobe mounted to the body member.
 19. The reel unit for a spinning reelaccording to claim 18, wherein the rod attachment leg is formed to beintegral with the body member.
 20. The reel unit for a spinning reel setforth in claim 18, wherein the rod attachment leg is formed to beintegral with the lid member.